#4206  Penthesilea
     
     *Kodiak really was worn out and Penthesilea left him sleeping in her bed while she dressed and went in search of the Lord Marshall. She had not told Kodiak about Daemon’s news and she hoped that he would be unable to pluck it from her mind before his Master had him tucked away for training! The failure of technology in areas where it usually worked was downright terrifying as it signalled a fundamental change in Reality.....*

#4208 

[Text to be added. Re-write in progress.]

#4210  Penthesilea
     
     *The Lord Marshall arrives at a run and he is immediately pouring over the maps that Penthesilea has retrieved from Daemon's suite. Soon, the army is boiling out of its new barracks....*

#4212  Penthesilea

     *Penthesilea relayed the message to the Lord Marshall as well as a description of the Wolfkin to be distributed to the troops.* The Wolfkin have volunteered their help so it is made explicit that nothing appearing canine is to be targeted unless it attacks first.

#4214   Penthesilea

     *Penthesilea's study has rapidly become a temporary War Room. She makes a note to have one of the large conference rooms on the second floor converted to a real War Room. Her study is too small to hold everyone at once. Sir Michael, Sir Alexander and Sir Kevin arrive at her summons. She explains the situation and they begin to plan. The knights are the best the Castle has to offer and each knight has a speciality. It is decided that the skirmishers and scouts will go with the army units going into the field. The rest of the knights, the Castle Guard and the remaining troops will prepare to defend the Castle and Castletown. Penthesilea sends word to Raksha and King Orag. They will be needed.... *

#4216  Penthesilea
     
     *Penthesilea burst through the door from her tower to the Great Hall into controlled chaos. Her own people were well disciplined and knew their tasks, if it was only to keep out of the way! Lord Kennicott's people and the visitors from Crowhaven who had come for the night's party were not so well organized. The were verging on panic.* Lovely!* She signalled Sir Alexander whose bellowed demand for silence got results.

Penthesilea: We have a situation. We have learned that three groups of hostile troops are attempting to surround the Castle. We are preparing to deal with them. I ask all of you that are not involved in the Castle's defense to please remain calm. Those of you expecting to travel back to Crowhaven tonight will be quartered in the Castle until it is safe to travel. An excellent meal has been prepared and I suggest that you all avail yourselves of it. The night's entertainment will go on as planned but I will not be attending. *Surrounded by her guard of knights, Penthesilea headed out of the door.*

Sir Alexander: Was that wise, my Lady?

Penthesilea: What, the entertainment? *He nodded.* Yes, better that they should be listening to a play than milling around scaring themselves to death. *Lord Kennicott came striding toward her.*

Lord Kennicott: My Lady, I insist.... *Penthesilea never heard what he insisted. As soon as he was in range she straight armed him solidly in the chest with her open hand, knocking him on his well-bred butt. She sailed past like a single minded force of nature surrrounded by grinning knights. Only she heard Kodiak's laughter in her head....*

#4218  Penthesilea
     
*Penthesilea was "motivating" a slow moving civilian when she spotted two familiar figures both clad in Amazon fighting leathers coming toward her.*

Penthesilea: (inspeaking) What the hell are you doing here?

SpiritFire: (inspeaking) We live here.

MoonCat: (inspeaking) Yeah. And besides. This is where the fun is!

Penthesilea: (inspeaking) How did you...

MoonCat: (inspeaking) Grandfather. And I brought Ashera's mobile unit with me -- two of them in fact. I got creative.

SpiritFire: (inspeaking) We've also heard that there is a stepfather in our future and NOT one of those sorry losers who were hanging around when we left. We've gotta check him out. *Penthesilea, knowing her daughters as well as she did, was suddenly apprehensive...*

Penthesilea: (inspeaking) I believe that you know Darklord Kodiak.

MoonCat: (inspeaking) You mean he finally wised up?! RADICAL!

SpiritFire: (inspeaking) Agreed. He should be able to handle the three of us..... *Penthesilea could hear Kodiak in the back of her head as he eavesdropped on the conversation. He wasn't so sure......*

#4220  Penthesilea
     
     *The fighting was fierce and bloody from the start. Invaders were dropping all over the Castle compound and the defenders were hard pressed. Penthesilea, with her daughters guarding her back, split her attention between the foe in front of her and the responsibilities of command. She was trying to get a moment or two to cast a spell to take out the blimp which continued to disgorge fighters at an obscene rate. Penthesilea suspected that the gondola housed a mobile Gate terminus which was allowing fighters from a remote point to teleport in. They were also using it as a gun platform, raining small arms fire down on the open areas of the Castle grounds. She couldn't get the moment. She and her girls had their backs to a wall with a score of foes before them. And more were coming.
     Suddenly, there was fire in the sky and Penthesilea saw Torao-Akio standing on the front steps before the main doors. He had cast the fireball spell that Penth couldn't manage and overhead, the blimp exploded in flames and began to drift out toward the north away from the Castle and town.
Penthesilea turned her full attention to the foes in front of her. Now that there would be no more coming, they had a chance! Together, Penthesilea and her girls fought their way free of the trap they were in.

MoonCat: (inspeaking) Whoa! Look at him! *Penthesilea looked. Kodiak was across the Courtyard, his twin swords weaving a web of death for anyone who came near him. He turned and the light fell on him and she could see that a bloody gash ran diagonally across his chest and he was bleeding from a dozen other small wounds. Horrified, she realized that he was unshielded!

Penthesilea: (inspeaking) I ordered you to cover! You're unshielded! *Kodiak never paused. A head flew in one direction, the body in another.*

Kodiak: (inspeaking) Sorry, my dear. I don't take your orders.

Penthesilea: (inspeaking) This is MY Castle!
*Kodiak's left hand sword caught in the skull of the unfortunate fool who had challenged him. Kodiak kicked the body free and turned to face another enemy.

Kodiak: (inspeaking) I know. I quit. Remember?  *His swords flashed together and two more fell.* I'm not the Lord Marshall anymore. I'm a free agent.

Penthesilea: (inspeaking) That's why you quit! *Penthesilea was terrified and furious. Fortunately there was foe in front of her that was in serious need of killing!
     A bullet zinged off of her shield. Sniper! Frantic, she looked for the shooter and spotted him on top of the Main Hall. She screamed orders into her headset. Gremlins boiled up out of nowhere and pulled him down, screaming. She looked for Kodiak but couldn't see him in the press. She fought on. Only his continued presence in the back of her mind assured her that no one had taken his head. The man in front of her was big but unused to fighting someone with a personal shield. His blow came too fast and glanced off the energy field. Penthesilea had no such problem. Her sword thrust forward at exactly the right speed, penetrated his shield and killed him. She turned to look for another foe. She didn't see that MoonCat and SpiritFire had been forced away from her. She didn't see the battlestaff swung at exactly the right speed. She didn't see the foe at all as the blow landed, fracturing her skull.
     Kodiak heard MoonCat and SpiritFire scream. Looked and saw a man with an upraised sword standing over Penthesilea, her unprotected neck his obvious target. He was too far away! He would never reach her in time! Then he felt the ring on his hand, onyx and silver that she had given him and the spell she had told him about. "This ring will carry you to wherever I am. You just have to want to be there." He swung his swords and wanted. And in a flash, he was there! Standing between his love and her death. The man before him had no chance!
     With MoonCat and SpiritFire covering him, Kodiak sheathed his swords and scooped Penthesilea from the ground. She was already beginning to stir. It would take more than a skull fracture to keep her down! But she needed time to recover.

Kodiak: (inspeaking) There! That alcove! The three of them sprinted to the sheltered place and Kodiak gently laid his beloved down. Then he pulled his swords and with his soon to be stepdaughters on either side of him defended her....

#4222  Penthesilea
     
The Darklord's Quarters -- Inside

     As Kodiak intended, they appeared in his bedroom beside the bed. His anger with Penthesilea had turned into something else and he was in no mood to be denied. She was still fighting him, trying to pull free so she could slap him again. He hooked a leg behind hers and pushed. She fell backwards onto his new bed and he fell with her. He managed to pin her and since her strength was not fueled by a vampire demon trying to possess her, she couldn't throw him off and he was very careful to protect himself from the myriad of dirty infighting tricks that he was aware that she knew!

Kodiak: (inspeaking) STOP STRUGGLING! I won't hurt you! *She didn't answer him. And her struggles were becoming more and more frantic. There was only one thing left to try...  He kissed her and poured everything he felt for her through the bond that had been forged between them that very afternoon. At first, she still fought him but at last, he reached her and he felt the fight go out of her. He released her wrists and her arms went around his neck. She was crying as she wailed in the inspeaking.

Penthesilea: (inspeaking) I was SO scared! *He understood. He had felt it too.*

Kodiak: (inspeaking) I know. I was too. *He kissed her again, gently, the anger had gone out of him and his eyes were again deep brown.* This bed is new. We should bless it. *The answer he received was everything he could have wished.*

#4224  Penthesilea
     
The Darklord's Quarters -- Later still

     Kodiak finished tucking the covers in around Penthesilea who slept with the innocence of a child and the exhaustion of a woman who was thoroughly loved. He had managed to leave the bed, shower and dress without waking her. He laid a rose by her head and stared at her, fixing the image of her asleep in his mind. He had a feeling that it would be a while before he saw her that way again. His eyes lingered on the diamond glittering on her hand.*

Ares: (inspeaking): In some ways, my daughter is very young. *Kodiak looked. Ares stood beside him.*

Kodiak: (inspeaking) I've come to understand that. In many ways, I'm more experienced than she is.

Ares: (inspeaking) In matters of the heart, you certainly are. She has never felt this way and it frightens her. She wants to protect you because she can't stand the thought of losing you. She's at war with herself because she knows that she can't lock you up and stand guard over you but every instinct she has is screaming at her to do just that. *Ares shook his head.* I don't know if being raised among immortals would have made a difference. She has lost so many people that she has loved.

Kodiak: (inspeaking) She won't lose me. *He strapped on his swords and put the other weapons he would carry on his person in place.* I have to go. Master has waited on me long enough. We were to leave last night but when I heard about the forces trying to surround the Castle, I couldn't leave.

Ares: (inspeaking) If you had left, she probably would be dead by now or captured. *They both looked at the peacefully sleeping woman.* I'll keep her safe for you. The rules will let me do that much.

Kodiak: (inspeaking) Thank you, sir. *Kodiak looked one last time at the woman he loved, stepped sideways and disappeared. After a moment, Ares left as well.*

#4226  Penthesilea

     *Penthesilea had awakened and returned to her room when she felt the attack on Satira. It brought her to her knees. Head swimming, she tried to contact her brother through the inspeaking.  He was too far gone into Rage. She would wait. She would have to. It was possible that he would not recognize her in this state. Once he had exhausted his rage, she and her daughters would go look for him. And they would pull him back to himself. They had done it before..... *

#4228  Penthesilea
     
     *As soon as she could stand, Penthesilea headed for the makeshift War Room on the second floor of the Main Hall. It was still a few hours before dawn and she was grateful for the few hours of sleep that Kodiak had made sure that she had gotten. Her father was already in the War Room when she arrived. She filled him in via the inspeaking, concluding: (inspeaking) Satira is beyond our help. My only concern now is my brother.  Can you reach him? *Ares stood stock still for a moment. No one watching him would know that he had cast his awareness outward.

Lord Duncan/Ares: (inspeaking) I've found him but I can't reach him. He's more animal than man at the moment.

Penthesilea: (inspeaking) Damn! I'll have to go to him but I can't until this situation is stable. Can you or Aunt Eris steer him into unpopulated areas? He's in bad enough shape without having innocent blood on his hands. *Ares fell silent for a moment.*

Lord Duncan/Ares: (inspeaking) It's done. Eris will keep him away from innocents until you can get to him. *Penthesilea breathed a sigh of relief. Her son was as safe as he could be at the moment. She could give herself over to her other responsibilities without guilt.*

Penthesilea: (inspeaking) We have to consider the possibility that this whole situation in Bar-Arack was a trap for them. Contact our people in the field and tell them to be cautious, especially Lord Cujon and Sir Michael. If someone is taking out my allies, they could be targets. *Ares nodded and then they switched to spoken speech as others began to arrive. They would have to be told as much as could be shared about what had happened.... *

#4230  Penthesilea
     
The Keyholder's Tower - The Roof - Nearing Sunrise

     Penthesilea stood facing the eastern mountain range. Her brother was out there, in pain, and someone was going to pay for that. The first step in collecting was at hand. She first cast a spell that would send her voice to every corner of the lands she claimed and into the ears of every soul that had declared for her. Another spell, a formality really, tied the song to be sung into the inspeaking. It would be heard and recognized for what it was by every God and Goddess on the planet. Then she reached for Kodiak through the inspeaking and the bloodbond both: Listen, Beloved, she said. I sing for us both! The sun appeared.
     Penthesilea lifted her clear soprano in a song never heard before. It came from her heart and her grieving, outraged soul. It was a song of defiance and courage and hope. She sang her intention into the world. She sang in the Language of Creation. There was no magick behind it. Only her will and her heart but that was power enough to seal the vow.
     No more a pawn in the games of others. No more seeing her people suffer. Let her enemies come and she would crush them. Three pillars of strength supported her. Her Father. Her Brother. Her Beloved. She would not yield to evil. She would not surrender an inch. Let Evil come and die on her sword!
     Two voices joined Penthesilea's song then. An alto -- SpiritFire and another soprano -- MoonCat. They joined their mother in her defiance. Another voice came to sing blessings, a baritone -- Ares. And yet another voice -- Aphrodite. Apollo followed and then Athena, Artemis and Gaea. Then Zeus, Hera and the rest of them joined in. The Olympian chorus supported Penthesilea's song as it reached into the hearts and minds of everyone who heard it. Mortals would not understand the words but the intent was clear. A New Age was at hand.
Far away, lost in a madness caused by grief, Penthesilea's brother heard her and knew that she would come... *